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4 Knots Every Paracorder Needs to Know + 1 Fun Knot

Posted by Lauri on Feb 5th 2016

As a paracord crafter, I think we all know how important knots can be. We use them with every project we make. Whether it's the weave itself (ie. Snake Knot and the Cobra is even a knot) or a way to start or end your bracelet, without a doubt, you have made a knot before.

People have been doing and creating knots for forever. The oldest known knot was used in a fishing net in Finland in 1913, dates from around 8000BC. Some knots are combinations of a couple knots so I'm not sure if anyone knows how many actual unique knots there are in the world. But I can safely say there are at least thousands of different knots.

Whether you like it or knot (get it?) knots are everywhere.

Lets start with the easiest knot- the one most people use to connect their paracord to a buckle:

#1 Cow's Hitch

This knot is used to attach paracord (or any rope) to a fixed object. The Cow Hitch has been known since at least the first century when a Greek physician used it on surgical knots and slings. Other common names are the Lark's Head, Ring Hitch, and Lanyard Hitch. The cow hitch is simply made by inserting a loop of the cord around the fixed object and bringing the cord through the loop on the opposite side of the object.

#2 Adjustable Knot

The adjustable knot is great for many reasons. You can make the knot as big or as small as you want - it can be one loop or 100. The best part is that the bracelet is adjustable, so no worries if it'll fit or not. You don't even need buckles or anything to make this bracelet! A bracelet made with two adjustable knots is commonly called a "friendship bracelet". Beads and charms can be added to make this a fun and personalized charm bracelet. This is the adjustable knot that is commonly used for aircraft tie-down. This knot is very easy to make:

#3 Diamond Knot

This knot is a fairly easy knot to make that can really make your paracord project look a little more professional. It can be used at the end of a bracelet put through a loop (used as the clasp instead of a buckle), on a monkey fist, or at the end of a zipper pull. The most common use is for decoration on lanyards at the end or in the middle. I've seen the diamond knot used with one, two, and three stands, which can make it as big or small as you want. The diamond knot can also be known as the lanyard knot or friendship knot. Make your own .

#4 Globe Knot

This is another fun decorative knot. It can also be used to end bracelets with a loop, so you don't have to use a buckle. I've used this knot on lanyards and, as pictured above, as the end to my paracord tarantula. The knot on the left is a regular globe knot, while the one on the right is a double globe knot. Most people use a PVC or some sort of tube to wrap the cord around to make this. You can insert a ball into the knot before you tighten it to make more of a rounded look (left) or with nothing inside and it will become a little oblong (right). However, there are many, many different forms of the globe knot, making this a fun and unique knot to add to a project. Make your own globe knot.

Those are the four most common knots that I personally have used. What knots do you usually do?

+1 Bonus knot!

Double Figure Eight Knot

I learned this knot from one of the best references available to knot tyers, The Ashley Book of Knots. I like this one as a decorative knot in lanyards. You can also make this one as long as you want by doing more turns around the cord. This looks a little different than what you would get if you were to Google "Double Figure Eight Knot". While I like the look of the typical double figure eight knot, this one is a little more unique and done with one cord. Try it yourself: